How do you teach children to skim/scan when studying?

[Cecropia]

When I'm ready to test my 4th grader and 7th grader, I give them a summary of all the relevant material we've covered for them to review.  They go back and read it word for word and I can't seem to get across the concept of quick skimming/scanning to them.  I tell them to pick out main ideas, any bold or italic words in the text, and pay attention to captions. They are still afraid that they will miss important details that might be on the test if they don't read every single word.

 

Is there a good quick program out there that would help them?  Is this not a skill that can be learned at these ages?

[fralala]

Do they do any highlighting, underlining, or note-taking when learning or reading things for the first time?

[MerryAtHope]

Personally, I wouldn't want to teach skimming to a 4th grader--this is still a fairly young reader, and I'd rather that student continue to practice solid reading skills. I might try teaching it to the 7th grader, but both of my kids picked up skimming easily in high school without much teaching on my part. I did work on note-taking from a text in junior high and high school, and I think that having to write out the highlights and important details from a text naturally leads into learning how to skim. For your kids' ages, I'd likely just make up a study guide instead (either they are to find the answers, or you actually give the items you want them to study). 

[Lori D.]

Totally an aside: only because I was making this mistake until it was pointed out to me ;) -- skim and scan are not synonyms but instead are antonyms -- "skim" = quick, superficial reading / "scan" = examine closely; scrutinize; study -- So your DC are scanning, when you want them skimming. :)

 

 

In answer to your question: 4th and 7th grades seem pretty young to me to be able to incorporate this skill independently; that seems more like a study skill that is developed in the high school years. Your summary is a terrific tool; perhaps just adapt that a bit?

 

For example: together, over the week, build a summary of key words and ideas -- everyone contributes to it each day from that day's reading -- maybe ask each person to list what THREE things they thought were most important, and do so in a way that the more easily-swayed student doesn't switch answers to copy the other student's answer, and when each person contributes (you contribute, too! :) ), you can each time re-teach and model the idea of subheadings, bolded words, etc., as being the most likely items of being the most likely to be tested items.

 

Then hand them the compiled summary at the end of the week and tell them ONLY these ideas will be on the test, and to ONLY go back and re-read about those ideas. And adapt the tests so that ONLY those ideas show up on the test. After however many months it takes to get really solid of this way of doing it, branch out a bit: "Okay, now the tests will most likely have most questions from our study summary, but the tests MAY include information NOT on the summary, so we'll need to study not only the summary, but use those SAME TOOLS we've used to make our summary to do a quick review of the textbook -- so, we'll be looking at the subheadings, bolded words, etc. Just an FYI: your 7th grader may be ready to make that jump long before the 4th grader, depending on learning style and maturity.

 

As they get older and more ready to "solo study" you can incorporate fralala's ideas of study skills for learning from and studying for a test from a textbook.

 

Just my 2 cents worth, in case it helps, and disregard if it doesn't. :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Lori D.

[Cecropia]

Do they do any highlighting, underlining, or note-taking when learning or reading things for the first time?

 

We tried note-taking at the beginning of the year but it was met with a lot of resistance, so we dropped it...

[Cecropia]

Personally, I wouldn't want to teach skimming to a 4th grader--this is still a fairly young reader, and I'd rather that student continue to practice solid reading skills. I might try teaching it to the 7th grader, but both of my kids picked up skimming easily in high school without much teaching on my part. I did work on note-taking from a text in junior high and high school, and I think that having to write out the highlights and important details from a text naturally leads into learning how to skim. For your kids' ages, I'd likely just make up a study guide instead (either they are to find the answers, or you actually give the items you want them to study). 

 

Both kids are strong, quick readers.  It's hard to get a good sense of what they can and can't do.

I think I'll just draw up bullet-point study guides and make the upcoming test content very obvious.  I'm probably expecting too much of them with our current system.

[Cecropia]

Totally an aside: only because I was making this mistake until it was pointed out to me ;) -- skim and scan are not synonyms but instead are antonyms -- "skim" = quick, superficial reading / "scan" = examine closely; scrutinize; study -- So your DC are scanning, when you want them skimming. :)

 

 

In answer to your question: 4th and 7th grades seem pretty young to me to be able to incorporate this skill independently; that seems more like a study skill that is developed in the high school years. Your summary is a terrific tool; perhaps just adapt that a bit?

 

For example: together, over the week, build a summary of key words and ideas -- everyone contributes to it each day from that day's reading -- maybe ask each person to list what THREE things they thought were most important, and do so in a way that the more easily-swayed student doesn't switch answers to copy the other student's answer, and when each person contributes (you contribute, too! :) ), you can each time re-teach and model the idea of subheadings, bolded words, etc., as being the most likely items of being the most likely to be tested items.

 

Then hand them the compiled summary at the end of the week and tell them ONLY these ideas will be on the test, and to ONLY go back and re-read about those ideas. And adapt the tests so that ONLY those ideas show up on the test. After however many months it takes to get really solid of this way of doing it, branch out a bit: "Okay, now the tests will most likely have most questions from our study summary, but the tests MAY include information NOT on the summary, so we'll need to study not only the summary, but use those SAME TOOLS we've used to make our summary to do a quick review of the textbook -- so, we'll be looking at the subheadings, bolded words, etc. Just an FYI: your 7th grader may be ready to make that jump long before the 4th grader, depending on learning style and maturity.

 

As they get older and more ready to "solo study" you can incorporate fralala's ideas of study skills for learning from and studying for a test from a textbook.

 

Just my 2 cents worth, in case it helps, and disregard if it doesn't. :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

I like your suggestions, thanks!

[Clemsondana]

When I started teaching, I started passing along some 'what worked for me when I learned this' tips. Over the last 10 years, I've read research on how to study, and both it and my own experience recommend something other than skimming or scanning - it may be that it doesn't work for your kids. I've found that skimming is usually too passive, and either I read every word or I just see the parts that I already know. What really helps me and most of my students is the work of making the study guide, in whatever form that takes - usually something with as few words as possible, like a flow chart, list, timeline, etc. The act of making it is where most of the work happens, but when we refer back to it, reading every word is OK because each word should trigger a memory of what we read and shortened to get the phrase that we wrote down. Once that is done, have them test themselves. Some people like flash cards, others make up tests for each other or write practice questions (harder than it sounds, since they have to know both what to ask and the answer). My favorite study method, which got me through the last 2 years of college and all of grad school, was to get an empty white/blackboard and start writing what I knew. Once I was done, I'd compare it to the study guide that I had made and see what I missed. Your kids are probably too young for this, but it would work in high school.

 

I didn't mean for this to turn into a 'how to study' post, but if your kids are like me it may not be a technique that works for them, so I wanted to suggest an alternative. I try to read for comprehension the first time and after that stick with the notes that I've made for myself, which are very abbreviated. I'm capable of skimming to find information, but don't find that it helps me to review when I'm studying.

Edited December 30, 2016 by ClemsonDana

[Xahm]

It may be useful at some point to give them a test they've already taken and have them go back through the text to find where each answer was. That way they can pay close attention to what kind of information is asked for on the test and where it is found. Later, after they understand this, have them take notes. Then give them the test to look at and see how many of the answers were covered in their notes. I would guess this is a middle school type activity.

[lanalouwho]

I would give them the summary the day before, and ask them to highlight the key ideas. That way they could get used to looking for the most important information.

 

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[CadenceSophia]

I like the idea of asking them to look at a question and go back to the text to try and find that information by looking at headings. It might give a better sense of using the text as a reference. I don't know if re-reading is a terrible idea. I re-read a LOT of material in its entirety for exams in college, but I am a super fast reader and it was easier for me than taking notes and trying to read my own handwriting lol. I could read the material 3x in the span it would take me to read and take notes, so for many subjects I just read. 

 

One thing that did help me in highschool was learning speed reading. I spent a lot of time practicing eye movement patterns and where to apply extra time if I had it (first and last sentences of paragraphs, first and last chapters, etc. ) I think 4th grade and probably 7th grade are too young for that though. There is time for these skills to develop.

[Paige]

I remember copying notes off the board when I was in at least 4th grade. Somehow, by the time I was in high school, I was taking my own notes. I think note taking is a skill that needs to be scaffolded. I would either give the kids notes I have written for them or stop as we read and lecture and tell them what to note and how. Once they get used to what good notes and note taking look like, they should be able to do it on their own, but telling someone of any age to take notes when note taking is new to them is likely not going to end well. 

 

With my 7th graders, I have them read our history text before we meet and take their own notes, and then I re-read it to them, pausing to add my own comments here and there and to tell them what to note in case they didn't get it on their own. We've been doing it this way for about a year and I'm finally seeing that they've already written down what I think are the main points to remember. When we started, they had trouble distinguishing between what to write and what to skip, so I'm really pleased with their progress.

 

My DS is in HS at a PS and his teachers are still giving the kids typed notes or putting on the projector what they want the kids to write down. I wish they'd start letting the kids take over, but I don't know what happens in middle schools here. Maybe the kids aren't coming in prepared.